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ScienceGroundwater is the water that soaks into the ground from rain and can be stored beneath the ground. An aquifer is a body of rock and/or sediment that holds groundwater. There are two main types of aquifer in Ireland – bedrock aquifers, and sand and gravel aquifers. Bedrock is...
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There are more than 1,200 geological formations and members (rock units) in the 1:100,000 Bedrock Geology map. Rock properties such as colour, grain size and type, origin, fossil and mineral content are used to define formations and members. A lot of these properties are not...
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Karst is a type of landscape where the bedrock has dissolved and created features such as caves, enclosed depressions (sinkholes), disappearing streams, springs and turloughs (seasonal lakes). Limestone is the most common type of soluble rock. As rain falls it picks up carbon...
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ScienceGroup Water Schemes (GWSs) are community-run water supply schemes. About 70% of GWSs take their water from a privately-sourced supply. The rest take their water from an Irish Water connection (DHPLG, 2017). 81% of the privately-sourced supplies affiliated to the National...
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Public Water Supplies (PWSs) are managed by Irish Water, Ireland's national water utility, since 2013. Before this, public water supplies were managed by Local Authorities. More than 70% of public supplies take groundwater from boreholes, springs and infiltration galleries....
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The Groundwater Vulnerability map shows land areas across Ireland where groundwater can be easily polluted. It also shows areas where it is well protected by the subsoil layers. The vulnerability category given to a site or an area is based on how easy it is for water which...
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A well is a hole dug into the ground usually for the purpose of taking water from the ground but also for monitoring groundwater. Most private wells are used for home and farm water supplies are in rural areas. Springs occur where groundwater comes out at the surface. A...
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Subsoil is the layer of soil under the topsoil and on top of the bedrock. The ease with which water can pass through the subsoil is known as the ‘permeability’. The subsoil permeability affects how easily rainwater can soak down into the ground and fill up the groundwater...
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ScienceGroundwater is the water that soaks into the ground from rain and can be stored beneath the ground. An aquifer is a body of rock and/or sediment that holds groundwater. There are two main types of aquifer in Ireland – bedrock aquifers, and sand and gravel aquifers. Bedrock is...
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This dataset is the GSI’s legacy borehole database, compiled over many years from many sources. This dataset is available while we make significant improvements to our borehole holdings.
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Before building new structures engineering companies carry out a site investigation to find out the quality of the ground (strength and depth of soil and to see if rock and or groundwater is present). These investigations involve digging holes such as trial pits and boreholes....
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In terms of time scale in geology, Quaternary is the present-day time and it began 2.6 million years ago. A lot of this time period relates to the Ice Age. Quaternary Geomorphology shows features left on the earth’s surface during this time. Glaciers and ice sheets, which are...
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The term Physiography can be described as a blending of “physical" and "geography". Physiographic Units show Ireland’s physical landscape divided into categories such as ‘Bedrock plain’ and ‘Flat to undulating sediments’. Areas are grouped based on bedrock geology (solid rock...
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The term Physiography can be described as a blending of “physical" and "geography". Physiographic Units show Ireland’s physical landscape divided into categories such as ‘Bedrock plain’ and ‘Flat to undulating sediments’. Areas are grouped based on bedrock geology (solid rock...
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A borehole is any hole drilled or dug into the ground. The material (soil and or rock) from the hole is collected and tested in a laboratory to find out the structure and type of the soil and or rock beneath the ground. A borehole record or log is a written description of the...
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The term Physiography can be described as a blending of “physical" and "geography". Physiographic Units show Ireland’s physical landscape divided into categories such as ‘Bedrock plain’ and ‘Flat to undulating sediments’. Areas are grouped based on bedrock geology (solid rock...
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In terms of time scale in geology, Quaternary is the present-day time and it began 2.6 million years ago. A lot of this time period relates to the Ice Age. Quaternary sediments are the soft material that has been deposited during this time. In Ireland much of this is related...
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Bedrock is the solid rock at or below the land surface. Over much of Ireland, the bedrock is covered by materials such as soil and gravel. The Bedrock map shows what the land surface of Ireland would be made up of if these materials were removed. As the bedrock is commonly...
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The Quarry Directory shows the location of sand and gravel, crushed rock and dimension stone quarries in Ireland. A questionnaire was sent to all known active quarries and pits (around 1,700). A location map (Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSI) 1:50,000 Discovery Series) was...
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Landslide locations and extents help us locate where landslides have occurred. Ireland's location, terrain and climate result in landslides occurring mainly in areas with steep slopes where rock meets the surface and peat covers the terrain. Landslides have the potential to...
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